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A review by 5teverin0
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
4.0
My interest in this book grew out of both my Mediterranean ancestral heritage and my study of Stoic philosophy. I wished to learn more about the culture of Rome, the daily life if its' citizens, and most of all how it came into being and grew to what it would eventually become. I wanted to understand how much, really, our modern civilization owes to the ancient Romans. It required some effort, but I was eventually rewarded with what I was seeking.
I say it took work, because for me, at least, the barrage of unfamiliar names, dates and places the reader is subjected to (particularly in the first half of the book) made it something of a slow go for a while. However, to say the first half of the book is challenging should not be misconstrued to imply that it is not informative or enjoyable. It was, for my taste and for what I was hoping to get out of the book, a bit on the dry, academic side. The second half was much more in line with what I was expecting, and consequently was a much quicker, easier read for me.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the ancient world, as much can be learned about other parts of it through the story of Rome. Although I feel as if I may not have gotten as much out of it as I should have, I am keen to have another go at it in the future.
I say it took work, because for me, at least, the barrage of unfamiliar names, dates and places the reader is subjected to (particularly in the first half of the book) made it something of a slow go for a while. However, to say the first half of the book is challenging should not be misconstrued to imply that it is not informative or enjoyable. It was, for my taste and for what I was hoping to get out of the book, a bit on the dry, academic side. The second half was much more in line with what I was expecting, and consequently was a much quicker, easier read for me.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the ancient world, as much can be learned about other parts of it through the story of Rome. Although I feel as if I may not have gotten as much out of it as I should have, I am keen to have another go at it in the future.